Winding machine



Nav. s, 1925. ,Y 1,559,718

C. D. REYNOLDS WINDING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1922 3 Sheets-She 1 Nov. 3,1925. 1,559,718

v c. D. REYNOLDS WINDING IACHINE Find July 1o, 1922 3 sheets-Sheet z C. D: REYNOLDS Nov. 3 1925.

WINDING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1922?` 3 Sheets-She aryz a. j y

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATE CHARLES D. REYNGIDS. QE' CBANSTON, 15

T'ZODE ES-LAND, ASSIGN'OR, BY MESNE .ASSIGN-- IENTS, TG TE NEVI ENGLAND TRUST' COIJIPANY, TRUSTEE, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

VJ 1N DING MACHINE.

Application eige .my 1o, 1922.4 'serial No. 573,799.

To all whom. it may concern.'

Be it known that I, (l1-munies D. REYNOLDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cranston, in the county of Providence, State ot Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Winding Machines, of which the following is a specification. y Y

rl`his invention relates to improvements in winding machines, and particularly to machines for winding heavy twine, cord, rope and the like` @ne object of the improvement is to proride means for automatically placing the supply-spool in a holder on the machine whereby it n'iay be supported to rotate to deliver uhe material contained thereon to the winding-spindle.

Another object ot the improvement is to provide means tor controllingl the rotation ot the supply-spool to regulate the unwindino; ot the material therefrom in accordance vith the requirements ot the winding operation.

.Y Another object of the improvement is to provide means for eject-ing the empty supply-spool trom its holder when the material on the spool has been exhausted and for reilacin'g it with a full spool.

Further objects of the improvement are set forth in the following specificati on which describes a preferred embodiment ot the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Y Y

In the drawings:

i 1 is a 'front' view o'f a winding machine showin the present improveu'ients ap 'plied thereto;

2, a side View of the machine illustrating the supply-holder and its mechanism more in detail;

a slightly reduced vi wot the supply-holder stand showing the means for cjecting the emptysnool and applying the full spool thereto and also the friction control f'or the spool; and

Figs` a and 5. detail views 'of the spool cjecting and replacing mechanism.

achine lin general comprises a' bof-- lilre i' f ne or head 2 mounted on suitable legs or standards and provided with bearings for the rotatable winding-spindle 5 and cam-shaft 6. The winding-spindle 5 may be driven by any suitable means, such as a belt (not herein shown) running over the usual tight and loose pulleys 7 and "8 and connected with fthe source of power. The winding-'spindle 5 constitutes the drive-shaft ofthev machine and is connected to rotate the cam-shaft 6 by means of a train of gea-ring not illustrated) enclosed within a casing 9 which is shown in Fig. 1. The cam-shaft v6 carries the "usual helicallygroove'd cam 10 which engages with a roller or bowl 11 at the end of the reciprocable traverse-bar 12. The bar 12 is mounted lto slide in horizontal grooves or guideways in a traverse-frame 13 and carries a forked thread-guide 15 'at its outer end. Through this arrangement ot mechanismthe guide 15 is caused to be reciprocated longitudinally of the axis of the winding-spindle 5 so that the strand or cord leading through the fork in the guide is traversed'back and forth to deposit it in helical coils which form the concentric layers of the cop or package. The traverseframe 13 is pivoted on the cam-shaft 6 "to adapt the traverse-guide 15 to swing away from the spindle 5 as the winding is built up thereon, and an arm 16, rising above the top 'of the frame, carries a pulley or sheave 17 lover which the strand c leads to the fork in the guide. A second guiding-pulley or sheave 18 is mounted at the upper end of an arm or lever 19 pivoted on a bracket 2O which is supported on rods 21 extendingl rearwardly from the top of the machine trame 2. Attached to the llower end of the lever 19 is av spring 22 which is anchored to the frame 2 at 23. The spring 22 tends to maintain the lever 19 in erect position, as shown in Fig. 2, while allowing it to rock slightly to compensate for the fluctuation in Arranged at the rear of the legs 3 which support the winding-head 2 is a third leg or standard 4 having upright arms 25 connected to the ends of the horizontal rods 2l which support the bracket 20. The leg 4 is similar in construction to the rearward main leg 3, and formed on the inner sides of both legs 3 and 4 are inclined ledges or shelves 26 adapted to serve as opposite runways for the ends of a rod or shaft s which is inserted through the arial bore ot the supply-spool S to serve as a mandrel therefor. As illustratedin Fig. 3,the ledges 26 reach out to the right 01"' the standards 3 and 4, and inclining downwardly to the left, terminate at a point 27 on the opposite side of the standards. The lledges or shelves -26 are ot' sulostantially L-shape with vertical flanges 23 which vact `to guide the ends of the shaft or mandrel s as it rolls therealong. Gverlying the 'ends 27 of the ledges 26 are hood-like guard-flanges 29 formed with curved portions 30 which serve stops for the mandrels. whereby the ends of the latter are guided into the two opposite sockets 31 carried by a pair of pivoted sector-arms or levers 32. The arms 32 are provided with axial studs 33 which are journaled in huhlike hearings 34 on the sides of the legs 3 and 4, see Fig. 5. Fast on the outer ends ot the studs 33 are collars 35 formed with. crank-arms 36, to which are jointed a pair ot links or rods 37, see F l rlhe outer ends oi the linls or rods 37 rest on ledges 3S on the sides of the standards 3 and 4, and are bent into hooks 39, see Fig. 2, which are adapted he engaged by upright fingers 4l on a rockahle frame 40 to be later described.

The arms or levers 32 which carry the sockets 3l for the ends ot the spool-mandrel s' are caused to be rocked for a two-fold purpose; lirst, 'to release the mandrel s of the empty spool S from the socket-arms; and secondly, to effect the tripping of a detent-mechanism which allows a full spool to rloe automatically delivered to the sup ply-holder. Referring to Fig. 3, it has already been explained that the axial rod or mandrel s in the spool S is supported on theinclined leges 26 to adapt it to roll downwardly to seatitsel'f in the hearingso'clrets 3l olthe arms 32. To prevent the new spool from rolling 'againsta spool already supported from the socket-arms 32 a detent or stop-device is provided in the form ot two opposite tripllevers 45. As shown most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the trip-levers 45 are of elbow shape, being pivoted at their rearward ends on studs 46 projecting from the webs or rilos of the ledges 26. Projecting downwardlyfrom the apex oi the levers 45, across the top of the flanges 28, are the stop-lugs or detents 43 which are adapted to rest against the top or" the ledges 26, as shown in Fig. 5, :d engage the ends oi the mandrel s as it rolls therealong. The forward ends of the levers 45 are provided with cross-pieces or shoes 49 adapted to he engaged by the rounded ends of cnrveo projections or lingers 50 on the socket-arms Als shown in Fig. 3, the lingers 50 are of arcuate shape and project laterally from the sides of the arms 32 through curved slits or openings 5l in the webs of the standards 3 and 4, where by to bring them into position to engage the shoes 49 on the levers 45 which are arranged on the outside olf the standards. llihen the arms 32 are rocked into position to eject the empty spool mandrel s from the sockets 3l, as shown in Fig. 4, the ingers 50 will he raised against the shoes 49 to litt the trip-levers to release their detents 'from the ends of the mandrel s oit the full spool S. rlhe return movement el? the arms is limited by the engagement or" the ...fingen4 50 with the ends oit the slits 5l, whereby the arms will be maintained normally in the position shown in 3 withy their sockets 3l ready toreceive the ends of the mandrel s as it rolls oil7 'from the ends of the ledges26.

Below the soclreted ends of the arms 32 the guard-flanges 29 are continued in curved runways which are extended to the right in the inclined ledges reachingout loeyond the sides of the standards 3 and 4 and terminating in stop-ledges 56. Ard rangedc conoentrically with the curved runways 54 are guard-flanges 57 which serve to direct the ends of the empty spool manJ drel s downwardly to cause the latter' to roll out to the end oi the ledges 55 where the spool may loe conveniently removed from themachine. j

Projecting from the left-hand side of the legs 3 and 4 are arms 58 provided with hubs 59 for supporting a horizontal rod or shaft 60 on which the roclralole frame 40', heiiore referred to, is pivoted. Referring to Fig. 2, the trame 4() is constructed with two vertical. side @sans 6l having hubs at their lower ends jonrnaled on the ends of the shaft 60, and a central arm 62 having its huh journaled on the sha-ft between the fixed collars 63. rThe arms 6l and 62 are con-- nected at the top hy a horizontal cross-V strut 64. at the ends of which are the upright fingers 4l which engage with the hooked ends oit the rods 37 to rock the socket-arms 32. Connected to lugs 66 on the sides of the frame 40 are cords or straps 67 which lead hack over pulleys or sheaves 68, shown in Fig. l, journaled on the sides of the legs or standards 3 and 4. Suspended from the ends oic the cords 67 are suitable holders 69 carrying weights FO which act to maintain the traine 46 in vertical position resting a..ainst stop-bosses 7l. on the curved runf *'f which project at the side of the ays legs 3 and 4. In addition to the force eX- erted by the weights there is also an added pressure applied to the frame 40 by means of a pair of springs 72. The springs 72 are fastened to hooks 73 lon the sides of the frame 40 and anchored to arms 74 projecting from brackets attached to the legs 3 and 4, see Fig. 1.

The central arm'62 of the frame 40 is continued downwardly from its hub in a foot-lever 75 provided with arest or treadle 76 at its lower end. Att-ached to the side of the foot-lever 75 are connterweights 77 held ont a cross-rod 78. The foot-lever 75 is thus caused to act as a weighted pendulum to steady the movement of the frame 40. Attached to the side of the central arm 62 beneath the cross-strut 64 is a hand-lever 80, see Fig. 2, reaching upwardly with its handle at a convenient height to be grasped by theV operator as he stands with his foot on the treadle 76. Y

The frame 40, besides serving to effect the rocking movement of the socket-arms 32, also has afurther, prime function in applying frictional pressure to the supplyspool S to control its rotation to regulate the nnwinding of the strand of material therefronmk Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, `at the center of .the cross-strut 64 is an upright arm 83 carrying a hub 84 to which is pivoted a pressure-member 85. The pressure-member or friction-brake 85 consists in a substantially V-shaped shoe having relatively broad, convex faces 86 vadapted to bear against the surface of the cylindrical body of material wound on the spool S. The flaring, convex faces of the shoe 85 provide for an extended two-point bearing between the shoe and the spool whether the body of the latter be at the maximum or minimum dia-meter. A

Having now described the construction and arrangement of the mechanism of my improved machine, its method of operation will next be explained: Assuming that an exhausted spool S is held on its mandrel s in the sockets 31 of the arms 32V, and that a full spool S has been placed in reserve position with `its mandrel s resting on the ledges v26 ofthe runway between the standards 3 and 4, being held the stopsy 48 on the trip-levers 45 as shown in Fig. 3, the operator proceeds as follows to eject the empty spool and replace it Vwith the full one: By placing the foot on thetreadle 7G and graspp ing the hand-lever 8O the frame 40 may be easily rocked back against the force of the weights 70 and springs 72. The brake-shoe 85 will thus be withdrawn from contact with the barrel of the empty spool S, and as the frame 40 moves back still farther the lingers 41 at its sides will eventually come into engagement with the hooks 39 on the ends of the links or rods 37 connected to the crank-arms 36. .Immediately :this engagement takes .place the 'continued movement of the frame 40 will cause thek links 37 to be drawn forward on their ledges 38 to rock the rcrank-arms 36 to turn'thepivotstudsl 33 of the socket-arms 32. This action causes the arms 32 to be rocked or tilted upwardly into the position lillustrated in Fig. 4, whereby their sockets 31 will be turned over to release the ends of the mandrel s of the empty spool S. The empty spool will thus be ejected from. the holder and the force of gravity will `cause it to drop withits mandrel sliding in the curved runway formed by the ledges 54 and guardflanges 57. The ends of the mandrel sare guided onto the inclined ledges 55, and rolling therealong, will finally bring up against the stops or abutments 56 where the spool is held inconvenient position to be lifted out and removed from the machine. s

Meanwhile, as the ends of the socketarms 32 are rocked upwardly, their curved lingers 50 will come into contact with the shoes 49 on the trip-levers 45, and riding thereagainst will lift said levers to release their detente 48 from the ends of the mandrel s carrying the reserve supply-.spool S.

will cause them to be returned into position to receive the ends of the reserve spool mandrel s in theirsockets 31. As the full spool S is thus delivered into place, with its mandrel s supported from the arms 32, the brakeshoe carried by the frame 40 will be brought into engagement with'the surface of the windings Aon the spool.

TvVith the full spool S heldin the supplyholder in the manner as above described its material is delivered to the winding-spindle 5 as next explained: The strand or cord Vc is drawn olf from the side of the spool S away from the brake-shoe 85, led up over the sheave or pulley 18 on the compensating` around the sheave 117,

lever 19, thence through the fori; in the traverse-guide 15 andV its end attachedto thewinding-spindle 5. The operator now starts the operation of the machine by lshifting the belt from the loose to the tight pulley, or by manipulation of any other suitable control mechanisrn, and the winding proceeds as follows: As the winding-spindle 5 is rotated it winds the strand c thereon while the latter is traversed back and forth by means of the guide 15 which is reciprocated from the cam them with full ones.

lO. The cop or package is thus caused to be built up in superimposed layers of helical coils with its supply delivering thereto from the spool S held by the soclreted arms 32. As the material is drawn ofi from the supply-spools the rotation of the latter is checked and controlled by the action of the pressure-member or brake-shoe 85 which is maintained constantly bearing against the body of the spool under the action of the frame l0 moved by the weights 70 and springs 72. rIlhe delivery of the material is thus regulated to apply suficient resistance to the draft on the strand o to provide the necessary tension whereby the winding will be built up in a firm, compact package. Any undue resistance or hindrance to delivery of the strand at the supply-spool is compensated for by the yielding action of the arm 19 carrying the guidingpulley i8, and in this way the material feeds to the winding spindle with a practically constant tension.

I/Vhen the material on the supply-spool is 'exhausted the winding operation is arrested under the action of automatic stopping-devices controlled from the compensating-lever 19. These latter devices are not Vherein shown or described in detail, however, as they do not relate particularly to theY present invention. Vhile the machine is in operation the operatory places one or more reserve supply-spools on the runways .26 at the top of the standards 3 and 4l. INhen, therefore, the material on theV delivering spool runs out and the machine stops, it is only required to draw back the frame 40 to eject the exhausted spool and cause a full spool to be'substituted in the manner as first explained. With the fresh spool in place it is only necessary to tie up the ends and start the machine again. *It lwill be observed from the foregoing` that the improvement providesv for furnishing a practically continuous supply of material to the winding-machine without the long` intervals of stoppage usually required for doffinn' the empty spools and replacing That is to say, the dofring and replacing of the spools may be accomplished much more rapidly and conveniently than heretofore, and hence the ultimate production of the machine is materially increased. In addition, the device embodies an improved controller for regulating the delivery' of the material to apply the required tension on the strand, which is operated by the same means that controls the dofng and replacing` of the supplyspool.

TWhile I have herein shown and described one `preferred embodiment ofthe improvement itV to he understood that various modifications may be made in the form and construction of the apparatus withoutY oeparting from the spirit or scope ofthe invention; therefore, without limiting,` myself in this respect, I claim:

l. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a supply-spool to adapt it to deliver its material, means to actuate the supply-holder to doff an exhausted spool therefrom, and means operated thereby to feed a fresh spool to position on the supply-holder.

2. In a device ofthe type specified, the combination of displaceable means for holding` supply-spool to adapt it to deliver its material, means for displacing said holdingmeans to deff anexhausted spool therefrom, and means operated by the displacement of the holding-means to applya fresh spool to delivery position thereon.

3. In a device of the type specified, th combination of a movable supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material, means for moving the supplyholder to eject an exhausted spool therefrom, and means operated upon the return of the supply-holderzto first position to supply a fresh spool thereto.

4.1.. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a movable supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its materia means for supporting Vreserve spools adjacent the supply-holder, means to move the supply-holder to eject an exhausted spool therefrom, and means `operated. from Vthe movement` of the supply-holder to release a reserve spool to cause it lto feed into the supply-holder.

5. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a movable supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material, a runway for supporting a reserve spool in position to be fed to the supplyholder, means operated .by the movement of the supply-holder to eject an exhausted spool therefrom, and meansrendered operative upon theV movementV of the supplyholder to cause the reserve vspool to be fed from the runway thereto.

(i. In a device of the type specified, the combination of a displaceable supply-holder for holding' a spool to adapt it to deliver its material, a runway for holding a reserve spool to adapt it to feed into position in the supply-holder, a runway for receiving the empty spool ejected from the supply-holder, means to displace the supply-holder to eject the empty spool into one runway, and

means operated therefrom to cause the reserve spool to feed from the other runway into the supply-holder.

A7. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool in position to deliver its material to the mac n" for supporting a reserve spool in position to feed into the supply-holder, dctent-means for holding the reserve spool from feeding, and means to eject the empty spool from the supply-holder and release the detent-means to allow the reserve spool to feed thereto.

8. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, a runway leading to the supply-holderE detent-means for holding a reserve spool on the runway` a second runway leading from the supply-holder, and means to eject the empty spool from the supply-holder into the second runway and to release the detentmeans to permit the reserve spool to feed from the rst runway into the holder.

9. In a winding machine, the combination of a rockacle supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, means for holding a reserve spool adjacent the supply-holder, means for rocking the supply-holder toV eject an empty spool therefrom, and means operated thereby to release the reserve spool to adapt it to seat itself in the supply-holder.

10. In a winding machine, the combination of rockable arms for holding a supplyspool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, means to rock said arms to cause an empty spool to be ejected therefrom, means for holding a reserve spool in position to feed into place in the arms, and means operated from the rocking action of the arms to release the reserve spool from its holding-means.

11. In a winding machine, the combination of a pair of pivoted arms having` sockets for receiving the mandrel of a supplyspool, a runway arranged above the arms to adapt a reserve spool to feed therealong, trip-levers for holding the reserveJ spool from feeding, and means for rocking the arms to eject an empty spool therefrom and to release the trip-levers to allow the reserve spool to feed into place on the arms.

12. In a winding machine, the combination of a pair of rockable arms having means for supporting a supply-spool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, a runway for supporting reserve spools in position to feed into position on the arms, trip-levers for holding the reserve spool from feeding to the arms, and manually-operated means for rocking the arms to eject the empty spool therefrom and to release the trip-levers to permit the reserve spool to feed thereto.

13. In a winding machine, the combination of a rockable supply-holder for supporting a supply-spool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, an inclined runway leading to the supply-holder, a second inclined runway leading from the supplyholder, trip-levers for holding a reserve spool from feeding along the runway and arranged to he operated from the rockingaction of the supply-holder to release the spool, and manually-operable means for rocking the supply-holder.

14. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to rotate to deliver its material to the machine, pressure-means for controlling` the rotation of the spool in unwinding the material therefrom, means to withdraw the pressure-means from the spool, and means operated therefrom to eject the exhausted spool from the holder to permit its replacement with a full spool.'

15. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to rotate to deliver its material to the machine, pressure-means for controlling the rotation of the spool in unwinding the material therefrom, means for ejecting an exhausted spool from the holder and replacing it with a full spool, means for withdrawing the pressure-means from the spool, and means operated therefrom to cause the action of the spool-ejecting and replacing means.

16. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material to the machine, mechanism for yejecting an eX- hausted spool from the holder and replacing it with a full spool, braking-means acting on the spool to control its rotation in unwinding the material therefrom, means for applying pressure to the braking-means, means to withdraw the braking-means from the spool, and means actuated from the withdrawal 0f the braking-means to operate the spool-ejecting and replacing mechanism.

17. In a winding machine, the combination of a supply-holder for supporting a spool to adapt it to deliver its material to' the machine, mechanism for ejecting an empty spool from the supply-holder, a rockable frame, means carried by said frame to apply a braking-pressure to the spool tocontrol its rotation, means to rock said frame to release-the braking-means, and means actuated from the frame after the release of the braking-means to operate the spool-ejecting means.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

CHARLES D. REYNOLDS. 

